The Curse of Hatred
by alittlebitlate
Summary: Two lovers wallow in grief as a battle between men closer than brothers draws near, and the final fated battle of the Senji and Uchiha will begin. [AU]
1. The Battle

_"Tears are ways to express yourself far better than words." _

* * *

Hinata was crying.

The sight, in itself, was unusual to behold, seeing how emotionally strong Hinata was, not breaking down to tears when she almost met her demise challenging Pein, shedding none when her heart was blasted with Gentle Fist, back in the Chuunin Exams, not even when the entirety of Konoha was destroyed by Akatsuki. Yet she was crying.

Sakura reflected that now, it wasn't much of a big deal. She herself was crying equally as hard beside Hinata, sobs wracking their injured bodies. Rain drummed heavily on the wooden rooftop, as a single candle in the middle of their small cabin - a substitute for their destroyed Konoha homes - was the only light source. The rest of the Allied Shinobi Forces had been wise to leave the two girls alone; not even Ino was as saddened as the two of them at this point.

It was only a few days since Akatsuki had been defeated and Madara was gone for good, except -

_"You two are just another generation in line, ready to fight as destiny." _

_Curse _that fake-Madara. Obito, or whatever his name was. Sakura could care less about history.

Except that those words gave an impact stronger than anticipated on Naruto and Sasuke. Of course Sasuke had decided to ally himself with them - it wasn't as if he wanted to be controlled in an eternal genjutsu. But the moment Madara and Obito fell, he broke links and bared his fangs. _  
_

Three days. That was the condition he gave to Naruto. In three days' time, they would recover from their sustained injuries, in three days, they would meet again, at the Valley of the End, where Lord Hashirama and Madara had fought their legendary battle.

And they would fight to the death. That was their destiny, what their lineage said, what their curse gave them. And no one could stop them.

Team Seven. Once so tightly-knit, now two were preparing to kill one another, one was recuperating, and one was in a broken mess, helpless to watch as her comrades would fall.

She remembered Naruto's words to Sasuke after Danzo's death. Before, it had sent a chill down her spine. Now it gave her a sense of dread.

_"You felt it in our clash too, didn't you, Sasuke? The next time high-level shinobi like us fight...we'll both die." _

Her fingers clenched into a fist, and she slammed it into a wall, taking care to control her inhuman strength. _"Dammit!" _she screamed, breathing hard. The entire cabin shuddered slightly, creaking.

Hinata looked at her with red-rimmed eyes. It seemed that she had shed all the tears she could, and was wallowing in a grief far superior to that. "Sakura-san..." she asked softly, doe-like lavender eyes resting on the pink-haired girl. "Do you think Naruto-kun will die?"

As much as Sakura wanted to reassure the girl, even though she herself was torn between the two, she knew it in her heart that it would never end with a draw, leaving the two alive. Who would keep their life? Who would lose theirs?

Sasuke was her first crush, at age six. The moment she'd laid eyes on him, a tingle had traveled through her heart. Over time, that simple little crush had blossomed into a powerful love, even as he turned rogue and threatened the safety of Konoha.

Naruto was, at first glance, extremely annoying. She'd viewed him as a nuisance and an irritating prankster, getting between her and Sasuke, though after time, a strong bond had developed between the two. Hardships had been shared, and Sakura could admit fully that Naruto was one of her best friends.

Even as those thoughts traveled through her mind, her lips formed an answer.

"Yes."

The candle flickered and went out.

* * *

_"A battle between blood is the ultimate battle of all." _

* * *

Three days. Three days Naruto had waited, recuperating, with a growing sense of dread. His injuries had healed at an incredible rate thanks to Kurama, and he had no doubt Sasuke would use White Zetsu as his own healer. Three days the rain had poured steadily over the Land of Fire, the weather reflecting the mood of the citizens.

Sakura and Hinata had locked themselves up in a cabin. He couldn't bring himself to go there, and comfort them. What would he say? That he would kill his best friend? No - not his best friend, actually. Sasuke was much more than that.

Sasuke was his brother.

Despite Kurama's promises to aid him, Naruto left, on the third day, with a heavy heart. His traditional orange-and-black jumpsuit was donned. His black forehead protector was tightened. He stashed extra kunai and shuriken in his ninja pouch, knowing he would need them in the battle.

His hand shook as he left his apartment, he knew for the last time. Immediately, rain battered on him, downing his spiky blond hair. His once-cheery blue eyes were desolate, even as he jumped from one rooftop to the next, his feet drumming on the wood, something the villagers had built after Nagato had destroyed the village.

He sped up, the landscape blurring around him. He was aware of a faint red aura, misting around him. Kurama's chakra, boosting him, aiding him.

_"If you do not kill him, Sasuke will destroy the Five Nations, Konoha along with it," _Kurama's voice rumbled in his ears. _"You are the only one who can stop him. You can't have any hesitation." _

"I know 'tebayo!" Naruto declared stubbornly aloud. He had already sworn to take the brunt of Sasuke's hatred back at the Gokage Summit, anyway. He had given his word, and he wasn't going back in it.

That was his ninja way, after all.

The Valley of the End neared fast - too fast for Naruto to register. As soon as he burst out the forest, he planted his feet in the First's stone head and dug his heels in, skidding a bit before stopping. Across, sitting in a casual position on Madara's own gigantic head, a figure moved, red eyes glinting behind soaked black bangs.

"Sasuke," Naruto acknowledged.

"Naruto," Sasuke returned, glaring at the blond. "I recall you once said you would take on all the hatred I have in me." there was the sound of something sliding out. In the dim light, Naruto's eyes caught the flash of a katana.

"I'll make you regret that."

"Like hell!" Naruto snapped back, even as Kurama's sun-like Yang chakra engulfed him. The whisker marks on his cheeks went bold, and his outfit turned into brighter colors. The Orange Hokage. "Sasuke! It's not too late to turn back! We'll welcome you, as our friend!"

"Don't screw with me!" Sasuke spat back, his Sharingan eyes alight with burning hatred. "I can't _stand _Konoha - any of you - living in blissful ignorance thanks to something my brother did! And treating him like some sort of misfit!" his hand clenched over his sword. "I'll slaughter _every last one of you_, starting with you, Naruto!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, sliding a kunai out of his ninja pouch. "I'm really sad this had to happen, Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't reply; he brandished his sword with a vengeance, and the two brothers pushed off of each stone monument, powerful chakra crackling between them. In a split second of silence, the two stared in each other's eyes, and Naruto realized that, for once, they had the same eyes; desperation, remorse.

Pain.

Lightning lit up the sky as their blades met in a flurry of sparks, the sheer force making the stone faces behind them crumble. Sword pushed off kunai. The second battle at the Valley of the End had begun.

_In another life, we would have been brothers, Sasuke. _

* * *

_"People ruled by vengeance always die young." _

* * *

Sasuke had been making excuses.

At first, the overwhelming fury and desire to crush Konoha was real, his hatred for his brother blinding him and urging him forward. Then, during the war, he met his reanimated brother, who flatly told Sasuke how selfish he had been, and how he would always love him.

His hatred had subsided then.

After that, he had hesitated. Where was he going now? He was an internationally wanted criminal, someone as low as to attack his own comrades should the situation demand it. The blood of countless people stained his ruthless hands. Where was the boy who was stubborn to get stronger, to prove himself? Who protected his comrades and friends without a moment's thought?

And then there was Naruto, shining like a beacon of hope among misery. The jealousy returned, fresh and sharp as ever, from the Chuunin Exams. He'd felt outcasted, even when he helped the Allied Shinobi Nations.

Because his clan and Itachi, living safe in sound in an illusion, was just that: an illusion. That was worthless. That was hiding from reality, refusing to move forward.

And after Madara had fallen, Sasuke followed his ancestor's footsteps.

Obito had told him about the Curse of Hatred, passed down from generation to generation. Even the first Hokage and Madara had battled it out in that twist of fate.

He didn't know what had compelled him to do it; maybe it was the bitterness, the jealousy, the confusion of where he truly stood. His declaration of becoming Hokage was a fraud. No one would appreciate his face carved in stone beside the rest of the heroes of Konoha.

He wasn't a hero. He was an antagonist. Like his brother. Sought out and to be weeded by a revered hero.

That revered hero was Naruto. And Sasuke would be a dark spot in history, his name used to keep naughty children in line by housewives and mothers. Just like the rest of his clan. And he would follow their footsteps.

So when he told Naruto he would give him three days to recover from injuries, and then battle where the fateful battle of Hashirama and Madara had once taken place, he had almost taken it back. The shock and pain on his face - on _everyone_'s face, made them too innocent, too naive. _  
_

Black Zetsu had whispered in his ear in his moments of hesitance. Filled him with renewed hatred, enough to last that, on the third day, he met Naruto with a deep, contained fury that was soon to be unleashed.

He had sat himself on Madara's head, waiting for the pounding rain to subside. Fitting that he sit on the statue of a feared villain. He sat there, waiting calmly for Naruto to arrive.

He noticed a blur of orange, black, and blonde, and Naruto was suddenly skidding on Hashirama's head. Doubt filled Sasuke again, until Black Zetsu's words murmured in his head again.

_"Why should the Senju get all the glory? All the time, it was _your _bloodline that was disgraced, put down by its own ancestor..." _

His onyx eyes automatically slipped into the red of his Sharingan. Naruto's movements became painstakingly clear to him then, along with his chakra. It was flowing hesitantly, as if Naruto was doubtful about the battle, too.

"Sasuke," Naruto greeted, his once-irritatingly cheery voice dark and grim.

"Naruto," Sasuke said back. "I recall you once said you would take on all the hatred you have in me." Automatically, his hand went to his sword, sliding it out of his sheath. A growl sounded low in his throat, unheard over the battering teardrops. "I'll make you regret that."

"Like hell!" his former teammate suddenly yelled, the chakra of the Nine-Tails engulfing him. The Yang chakra made him seem even more what everyone portrayed him to be - a hero, and that infuriated Sasuke so much more. "Sasuke! It's not too late to turn back! We'll welcome you, as our friend!"

Naruto had taken to pleading with him, but Sasuke knew he would be treated with suspicious glares if he ever returned. Not wanting the blond to realize that, he yelled back, "Don't screw with me!" his voice sounded harsh, even to his own ears. "I can't _stand _Konoha - any of you - living in blissful ignorance thanks to something my brother did! And treating him like some sort of misfit!" his hand clenched tightly over his katana.

"I'll slaughter _every last one of you_, starting with you, Naruto!"

Even as the words left his mouth, Sasuke knew he had gone too far, and there was no turning back. He and Naruto had been caught in the endless battle between the Uchiha and Senju - brothers pitted against one another.

Naruto seemed to realize it too. He heard the _kachink _of a kunai sliding out his pocket, his blue eyes uncharacteristically narrowed for once. "I'm really sad this had to happen, Sasuke," was all he simply said.

Sasuke had time to adjust his grip on his sword as the two jumped off of the heads of the stone statues, closing in on one another. His Sharingan saw every last movement, and there was a split-second of silence where all façades were ripped off, and they could finally see one another for the first time.

And as lightning tore the sky, their blades clashing, Sasuke realized that Naruto was in just as much pain as he was.


	2. The Aftermath

_"Even when a life is torn apart, this world is merciless." _

* * *

Naruto had never really reflected on how dying felt.

Sometimes it was peaceful, happy, even, if someone died of old age. They'd lived long enough, and they could die knowing they would see their loved ones again, the ones who have already passed on.

Sometimes it was violent, dreadful, like being killed in battle. Faster than they could comprehend, they would lie in a pool of their own life force, slowly trickling out of them.

For Naruto, it was a bit slow.

The crimson oozing out of his body never really registered until the final Biju-dama collided with Susano's powerful, Amaterasu-powered arrow. The resulting shock blasted the ravaged valley into nothing but crumbles of rock, miles and miles of desolation. The waterfall behind them was widened, but the water still streamed down strong. Rain battered down forcefully, as if the sky was crying.

It was then that Naruto's body, despite the influence of Kurama, decided to give out on him.

His legs - shaking from blood loss - had twitched lightly, before the strained muscles threw the blond to the ground. Naruto yelped lightly as the rest of his body followed suite, the clatter of his forehead protector guarding the majority of his forehead.

He noticed that his orange-like chakra was slowly fading away, leaving behind the tattered black-and-orange of his traditional ninja garb, covered with a slick layer of varying shades of crimson, some dried, some fresh out of his oozing wounds. There was so much blood, that Naruto could barely make out the pattern anymore.

His hands shaking, he forced himself to stand, first bending on one knee, biting back a sharp hiss as a jolt of pain traveled through his leg, before shoving himself up. Stumbling, he managed a few meters before his feet touched the rippling, clear surface of the lake. Even now, he unconsciously released chakra, holding him on the reflective, watery layer.

His legs gave out again, and Naruto let out a sharp gasp of pain as his face collided with the cold water, like a wake-up call. He willed chakra to keep his face above the surface. Through the dust, he could see Sasuke moving along, walking toward him. The dark-haired missing-nin walked onto the water, each step rippling out a translucent ring. His hair was matted, his brow caked with dry blood. His clothing, like Naruto's, was covered in blood; the Uchiha crest on his back was unrecognizable. His katana lay, with its blade shattered and broken, on the rocky bank, having broke sometime during the fight.

And then he collapsed too.

Naruto let out a gasp, regretting it immediately when water slithered through his windpipe, leading him into a coughing fit, and rattling his beaten body. With some difficulty, he angled his face, now eye-to-eye with Sasuke.

Blue met red. Like before the fight, now it stripped away all the masks, the pretenses, and the two gazed at each other for one last time. There was only one, raw, pure emotion in both eyes now.

Regret.

Naruto let out a final hacking cough, noticing how the bodies of both he and Sasuke were oozing blood into the clear, blue water. With nothing to say, they floated in the endless stream, nothing but the rain ruffling their blood-soaked hair.

"D'you think - " Sasuke began, and Naruto looked up at him. The black-haired man paused to cough up a bit of blood, a clear lump that dissolved in the liquid. "D'you think, in another life, we could be - "

"Not in another life," Naruto interrupted him. Despite the pain wracking his body, he gave him a toothy smile, forcing his eyes closed. "What are you talking about... Sasuke? We had so much fun in missions, we teamed up to fight Madara... we were already..." The smile slipped off his face, leaving only a sincere look in his eyes.

"...brothers.."

Sasuke huffed, a small smile gracing his mouth as his Sharingan faded, trading the red background and the black tomoe for the familiar onyx black. "You were always a big idiot, Naruto. Geez, having a missing-nin, an internationally wanted criminal as a brother..."

Naruto laughed - something that hurt his chest, but he carried on anyway. Still grinning like an idiot, he held up his fist, and Sasuke bumped his own against it.

"Brothers," Naruto said softly. Black was edging his vision now - from the blurred look in Sasuke's eyes, so was he. They'd lost too much blood, and had gone far past human capabilities.

"Now we can finally..." someone murmured distantly. Who was it? His eyelids were feeling strange, drooping. Or maybe it wasn't his eyelids. With a final, forlorn smile, he breathed out the final word.

"..rest..."

As the bodies of two dead men floated in the forceful waterfall, having fought for four days and three nights, the pounding rain above their heads subsided, as if the sky was smiling. A beautiful rainbow glittered over their faces - smiling, even in death.

_Brothers_, the rainbow seemed to say.

* * *

_"Force a smile. Soon enough, it will become genuine."_

* * *

Sakura's feet tapped lightly on the wooden floors, tracing a path that she had always taken. The pink-haired girl opened the door to the office with a creak, entering the Hokage's room.

It was strange - everytime she entered, she expected to see Master Tsunade's face. The woman, however, had passed in battle, fighting to the end. And her determination had saved so many people. Now, it was empty, save for Shizune shuffling through the paperwork, Tonton whining as the small pig curled up in a round pink ball in the corner.

Shizune looked up in surprise as the girl entered. "Sakura..." she murmured. "You aren't at the funeral?"

Sakura let a weary smile grace her lips. The bodies of Naruto and Sasuke, smiling, had been found four days ago. Their closed eyes and lax faces made them look like they were sleeping, almost hauntingly so. The rain and lake had washed away all the blood.

"You know I can't, Shizune-senpai," she said, a tired look on her face. "There's plenty of wounded to take care of, we still need to rebuild Konoha, and of course, there was those elders."

"You're just a girl," Shizune protested. "This is too much to force on you. You should relax..." pain glossed over her face. "After that traumatizing war, you're heaped on with the deaths of your teammates, and the wounded? At the very least, you should attend their funeral. It's the last time...you'll ever get to see them."

"It's okay," Sakura replied, already walking over and shuffling through the papers. "Sasuke-kun and Naruto wouldn't have wanted me to do that. They wouldn't have wanted me to linger on the past; I'll look forward to the future, and I'll do as much for the village as I can - and nothing's gonna stop me."

Shizune blinked, the meaning of her words sinking in. "Th-then," she stammered. "Are you actually going to _accept _that ridiculous request?! You're only seventeen! Not even of legal drinking age!" she protested.

Sakura walked over, her fingertips grazing white fabric. "It'll be the only way to keep peace among the Five Great Nations," she said. "I've fought alongside the Gokage in the war, and you learn to trust comrades whom you've fought along with your life," she said. "I believe they would approve of this. It would be better than watching some elder take ahold of the position," she added.

Shizune relented, letting out a small sigh. "...at the very least, I'll tend to all the wounded. You don't need to busy yourself with that - if you've accepted it, then you should focus all you have on that."

Sakura reached down, and placed the Hokage's hat on her head. The one that both Naruto and Sasuke had wished so stubbornly to wear one day. A smile pulled on her lips - a genuine one, something she hadn't done since the war.

_I'll be the embodiment of their dreams._

Sakura looked over to Shizune, the smile still gracing her mouth. "Please tell the Council of Elders that I have accepted the request..."

"Haruno Sakura has agreed to become the Rokudaime Hokage."

* * *

_"The tears on your face; one day, they'll fade."_

* * *

It was quiet.

It was almost unexpectedly quiet at Naruto and Sasuke's funeral. A few ANBU members had found them amid the rubble that was left of the Valley of the End. The First Hokage and Madara's statues had been crushed. They were found lying in a lake, similar smiles pulling at each face, knuckles pressed against one another's. As if in sleep.

They'd dried their hair, closed their eyes, and dressed them in simple, black garb, a forehead protector tied around Naruto's head. No one had the heart to throw Sasuke's body away; they had been comrades too long for something as cold as that. Instead, they both rested in open coffins, beside one another. A joint-funeral, fitting for two people, who'd been closer than brothers.

Among the rows and rows of black-clothed shinobi, all with solemn expressions on their faces, Hinata stared at the photo frame of the man she'd loved. Never again would she be able to hug him, encourage him, or even see his laughing face other than photographs.

Strangely, it made her chest feel hollow, but her eyes remained dry. Maybe she had cried out all the tears she could already.

Kakashi-sensei was at the front, telling the crowd about the first time he met the unruly genin. He was calm, but Hinata could tell, that he wasn't just calm. He was numb. Numb to what happened, in refusal that two of his favourite students were dead.

Hinata's ears were oblivious to it. She didn't want to hear about how Naruto had actually fallen for the bell decoy trap back as a genin, or how he had challenged a jonin and former ANBU member straight on without even bothering to hide. She wanted _him_. She wanted him back, alive, laughing despite the burden forced on him, always determined to follow his ninja way.

Kakashi-sensei stepped down from the podium. Sounds of clapping ensued, and Hinata followed suite, her mind too dazed to even realize what her body was doing.

And then she realized that it was her turn; she was the last of the former rookie nine to give a speech about the boisterous blond jinchuuriki and the onyx-haired heartthrob, excluding Sakura, who hadn't come to the funeral.

Slowly, in a daze, Hinata made her way up, realizing how she hadn't written anything. Momentarily, stage fright overwhelmed her, rows and rows of eyes staring upon her...

And she found she didn't care. She would be just as courageous as Naruto was.

She looked at all of the people directly, something that she normally wouldn't have been able to do. Ino was shedding a few tears, her shoulders shaking as her sky-blue eyes glued themselves to Sasuke's coffin. Iruka looked devastated. Lee was staring at the coffins with a stricken look. Akamaru was whining, pushing his muzzle into his owner's hand, who solemnly placed it on his head.

Hinata took a small breath, leaning toward the microphone.

"Details," she said, letting the word echo over the masses. A few people looked confused, but she plowed on. "A mother crying over her sick baby, a boy determined to make his parents proud, a fight between friends. These are the small details we have always overlooked in our lives. There are simply too many people in the world to notice all their problems. The only people who dabbled in your personal affairs were your close ones, your friends, your family, your lovers.

"Naruto-kun...and Sasuke-san too. They had their own details, their own problems, yet they had no one. Their close ones were gone, one was distant, the other was shunned. Yet they were two of the bravest people I'd ever met. In spite of their pain, they grew stronger...and they would pursue their own dreams. Sure, they followed the wrong path sometimes, but mistakes should be forgiven, no matter what. They grew a bond that made them closer than brothers, that ultimately helped them follow their own ninja way."

Hinata's voice shook slightly. "I...was in love with one of them. Naruto-kun was like a ball of sunshine, laughing, and always so optimistic even though he was shunned by his fellow villagers during his childhood. Still, he was incredibly stubborn, he was so devoted to his ninja way, to his dream...and the next thing I knew, I was in love with him. But I don't hate Sasuke-san. Their choices were not always the right ones...but I believe in them."

Her mouth curled into a hesitant smile.

"And we'll say farewell to two of the finest shinobi Konoha has ever had."

* * *

**A/N: **Man, this thing was a monster to write. I had so much inspiration...but it was so hard getting Sasuke in character. I don't think Hinata's ever addressed Sasuke directly in the canon series, so I just used the -san suffix (that is used for politeness). Also, I tried not to make the villagers hate Sasuke, cuz that would, y'know, ruin the mood. If you couldn't tell, this was a 'what-if' of the Senju vs Uchiha fiasco.

And yes, Sakura has become the Hokage. I think it's reasonable, seeing as she's already surpassed Tsunade, and Gaara became Kazekage during the timeskip. It's sort of repeating history, if you wanna phrase it that way.

Also - a headcanon that I couldn't fit in here: The curse of hatred ended with Naruto and Sasuke. None of them had any descendants, so they ended the cursed fate with themselves.

Anyway, I hope I get some feedback on how I could improve this! Reviews are appreciated :3 Thanks!

-alittlebitlate


End file.
